The Beast War
by TheWabbajackX
Summary: ((Sequel to Earth's Mightiest Hero. Post Winter Soldier/Age of Ultron/Ant-Man/Agents of SHIELD)) Strange occurrences are happening around the world. SHIELD and the Avengers get involved only to encounter old enemies and new frightening forces of devastation. The Earth is at risk once again, and it'll need more than one team of heroes to save it this time around.
1. Lazy Day

"There they all are, boys," Natasha said, spreading her cards on the table. It was hard for her not to hide the smirk on her lips as she watched the expressions of the men around her.

"Damn!" Sam shouted with a smile, leaning back in his chair. Steve shook his head, laughing silently as he placed his cards on the table. Sam looked over him. "She's good, boss."

"It's why she's on the team," Steve said. Rhodey placed his cards on the table as well, frowning after losing another hand. Steve smiled and gently patted his shoulder. "Cheer up, big guy. At least you didn't wager the suit or something."

"Show us what you got, Vision," Natasha said, taking a sip of wine. The android stared blankly down at his cards and looked up from them, his face expressionless. Almost dead. Nonchalantly, he placed his hand on the table. Royal flush. Laughter and hoots erupted from the boys as Natasha shook her head, unable to hide her impressed smile. "You've gotta be kidding me."

"That's one hell of a poker face you got there," Sam said with a grin.

"I believe it to be part of my programming," the Vision said.

"You guys know where the Maximoff girl is?" Rhodey asked.

"She's in her room," Natasha said. "She likes to be alone."

"I'm a little worried about her, to be honest," Steve said.

"Her biological data is registering normal for her superhuman state," the Vision stated.

"I didn't mean her physical health, Vision," Steve said. "I meant her mental health."

"People handle loss differently, Cap," Sam said, propping his feet up on the table. "Like when Riley was killed in action. Took a leave of absence and set up shop in Washington to help out vets struggling to readjust. Some people get back in the world as quick as possible. Others get back to it slowly."

"I know. I know," Steve said. "Just can't help it, you know?"

"She's a tough girl, Cap," Rhodey said. "Give her time. She'll adjust."

"She's not the only one having trouble adjusting," Natasha said. "It's so odd. New headquarters, new team. Sometimes, I almost miss Tony."

"Yeah, me too," Rhodey joked. The group of friends shared a laugh which was then followed by a lull in the conversation. A lot has changed in the span of a year and a half, most of it still having not set in. After the Chitauri invasion and the giant monster fights, nobody could imagine what else could happen. Then SHIELD fell, having been taken down by Hydra from within. Fury and SHIELD completely disappeared, only to resurge at the battle of Sokovia. After having nearly lost the entire Earth for a third time, the whole team splits up.

Tony respectfully bowed out, taking time to find himself and experiment with technology. Safely experiment. Or so he says. Clint hung up the bow and returned to his farm, to be with his kids. He's kept in contact with them all, showing them all how much Nathaniel Pietro Barton has grown. Thor returned to Asgard to investigate his vision and to make sure Loki has not been playing any tricks. The Hulk was still missing in action, all of Natasha's leads turning up blank. Bruce had managed to cover his tracks thoroughly despite being a giant green radioactive man. They had all been shaken and stirred in one way or another, but they stood side by side. As a team. The New Avengers.

The Vision's eyes lit up suddenly.

"Sir, Agent Coulson is on the line," he stated.

"Copy that," Steve said with a nod. "Send him through." A bleep went off inside the Vision's head.

"Hey there, sir." Coulson's voice came from the Vision, his lips syncing up with them.

"I'll never get used to that," Sam said, watching the Vision speak like Coulson.

"Howdy, Coulson," Steve said.

"Hope I'm not interrupting anything," he said.

"Not at all," Steve said, shaking his head. "Just thinking about old times after a poker game. Something up?"

"Possibly," Coulson said. "I've got my team investigating some unusual activity going on around Europe."

"How unusual are we talking?" Natasha asked.

"Important shipments disappearing, usually advanced computers and such," Coulson stated. "Nothing world destroying was taken, but it's some expensive stuff."

"Want us to help look into it?" Rhodey asked.

"This is a bit small scale for the Avengers' pay grade," Coulson said.

"Ah," Natasha said. "We're the NEW Avengers now. Remember?"

"Right," Coulson said. "May wanna reformat those business cards."

"Since when do we get paid?" Sam asked.

"If anything involving vibranium pops up, we'll be sure to give you a call," Coulson said.

"Alright. Thanks." The Vision's eyes returned to normal, the connection ended. Steve took a swig of his beer and cracked his neck. "First, he dies and then comes back only to disappear during the Hydra takedown of SHIELD. Then, he comes back and is just as shady as Fury." Natasha smirked at him.

"Aww, is somebody bothered that they're not in the loop?" she teased. Steve chuckled.

"I could ask you the same," he said.

"I'm not so bothered anymore," she replied. "We work with SHIELD now, not for them. We've got our own agenda to deal with. Besides, if I wanted to know, I could find out."

"No doubt," Sam said.

* * *

"Alright. Thanks." Coulson pressed a button and cut the connection with the New Avengers. The holographic screen dissipated. He straightened his tie and exited the room.

"Coulson," Skye said, looking up from her laptop. "What was that about?"

"Just staying in touch," he said. "In case things get hairy during our investigation, we have the Avengers watching our backs."

"Ah, man," Skye said. "I'd really like to meet them. "

"Careful what you wish for," Hunter said. She smirked at him. Fitz and Simmons looked away from the data from Fury's black box that they were analyzing.

"Sir, is there anything new about the Godzilla Squad?" Simmons asked.

"Nothing," Coulson said. "Contacted Dr. Serizawa a little bit ago. Giant lug is still sleeping at the bottom of the sea."

"Oh, could you imagine it, Fitz?" Simmons asked, her eyes lighting up. "The opportunity to study a giant specimen of prehistoric amphibious megafauna. Working with some of the best minds in the business. Dr. Serizawa. Dr. Graham." It has been a fantasy of the both of theirs to work with the Godzilla Squad and Monarch, studying MUTOs and Godzilla, ever since the team was formed before the fall of SHIELD.

"No kidding," Fitz said. "Dr. Mendel Craven's developments on technological deep sea exploration are remarkable. His NIGEL was what inspired us to make the DWARFs."

"Not to mention that sub they travel in," Mack said as he rounded the corner. "What do they call it? The Gotengo? Boy, I'd love to look that one over."

"A flying submarine with a drill on the front," Skye said. "How awesome is that?"

"Well, don't get any of your hopes up," Coulson said. "Monarch may be part of SHIELD now, but all giant monster activity falls under their jurisdiction. We're not Monarch personnel, so the only chance you guys get to go on a field trip with the giant lizard is if it starts attacking people."

"Way to kill the dream, Coulson," Skye said jokingly.

"Well, I'm not too heartbroken over it," Hunter said. "Call me old fashioned, but the idea of spending time in a tiny submarine next to a 300 foot tall monster doesn't sound like my idea of a good time."

"Scared, Hunter?" a voice asked. Bobbi slunk into the room, her gold locks shining in the ceiling lights.

"Please," he said with a laugh. "You're scarier than any sea monster."

* * *

 **Author's Note: Welcome back, you magnificent bastards. Time to get started on my sequel fanfic to my first Godzilla/Avengers crossover fic. Hope you guys like it. This fanfic may be subject to heavy revision when Ant-Man comes out and Marvel's Agents of SHIELD finishes its second season, so don't be surprised if chapters are re-uploaded and edited. I'll let you know when something's been changed. Feel free to give constructive criticism.**


	2. The News At Noon with Steve Martin

Sam's hands glistened from the water he had run over them, now clean from filth. The towel dried his skin and was placed on the rack. He left the bathroom behind and went to the lounge to see who was out and about. The Vision and Rhodey were busy modifying their equipment, or in the former's case, himself. Natasha was training in the gym, making sure to exercise all the muscles in her body. She always needed to be in top physical condition. Wanda was meditating in her room, still very much isolated from the rest of her team. Steve was the odd man out this time around. Nowhere to be seen. As Sam made his way to the lounge, he heard the faint sound of a television. Sure enough, the TV was on. A large couch sat in front of it, with a second couch to its right and a single chair between the two. On the couch was Steve, the remote clutched in his hand.

"Hey, boss," Sam said, walking up behind him. Steve glanced over his shoulder and nodded at him. "What's on?" On cue, the television seemed to answer his question.

"Welcome to the News At Noon with Steve Martin," a narrator said as his words were accompanied by fanfare. The graphic title transitioned off the screen and revealed Steve Martin sitting at a desk. A graphic of the world map was displayed behind him, colored blue. His grey suit hung over his body, clean and crisp. A matching dark tie with a single slanted blue bar ran across it. His black hair had faded slightly with age, but he still managed to retain a George Clooney like handsomeness to him.

"Hello to everyone watching at home or at work," he said. "This is the News At Noon. I'm your host Steve Martin. Our top story today is the commemoration of the giant monster attacks that ran from Honolulu, Las Vegas, and San Francisco. It has been one year today since the devastating tragedy that shook our country, nearly bringing it and the entire world to its knees." Footage from the Waikiki attack showed Godzilla fighting the flying MUTO, with the Avengers buzzing around them. "Last year, in a chain of events that spanned nearly a week, the Pacific region from Japan to the United States was under the threat of the giant monsters Godzilla and the two MUTOs. While the threat and shock of what happened is very recent to us all, this all goes much farther back."

The footage switches to old black and white nuclear test stock reels. Various different shots of black and white mushroom clouds rising from the sea, sending waves ripping through the water from the sheer intensity. Shots of the natives were spliced in between the different tests, showing what kind of lives they lived before the atomic age came into being. "Shortly after the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, strange activity began to occur in the Pacific region. Shipments and nuclear arms began to disappear, with the acts being linked back to the discovery of a MUTO specimen named Shinomura. March 1, 1954 was the first time the United States had tested a hydrogen bomb. The test had been conducted out at the Bikini Atoll, near Odo and Moansta Island. The higher than expected fallout release as well as wind direction and yield irradiated these local islands, making them uninhabitable to the natives that occupied them. It also produced much greater consequences."

A still image of Godzilla's dorsal plates rising out of the ocean, spray obscuring the sight of its bulk, had taken the place of the footage. Steve remembered seeing this image during his debriefing with Monarch. "The explosion combined with the investigation of a nuclear submarine named the S.S. Nautilus had awakened a prehistoric amphibious reptile that had remained in hibernation for years. To the natives of Odo and Moansta Island, the beast was named "Gojira" and was believed to be their grand deity. A mistranslation error from these natives from Japanese to English resulted in the creature being known as "Godzilla". Godzilla and Shinomura fought one another, but both were thought to be destroyed in another atomic explosion. However, the former survived and was chased across the Bikini Atoll region, with various different nuclear testing phases such as Operation Redwing and Operation Hardtack I being attempts to kill the creature disguised as nuclear tests. Godzilla was thought to have been killed in the 60s, with no future sightings having occurred since then."

Stock footage of old civil defense training reels began to play, with Steve Martin continuing to speak about the subject. Children slid under their desks and covered their heads. Shots of old fallout shelters were shown, looking old and empty after having been forgotten for years. "The threat of both nuclear annihilation and monster attacks were both contributing factors in the view of atomic weaponry in the United States, with the latter being kept a secret from the American people. The study and fighting of giant radioactive megafauna led to the formation of Monarch. Originally starting out as a joint Japanese-American fighting force formed in the aftermath of World War II, it eventually transitioned to a multinational coalition dedicated to studying nuclear radiation and mutation as well as how it effects biology. Many prominent figures were tied to Monarch, such as SHIELD founder Agent Peggy Carter." Steve leaned forward, entranced by the view of Peggy on the screen. A black and white reel showed her standing before a crowd of people discussing something. Even with the grainy footage, she looked as clear and pristine as the day they met. Her red wavy hair sat on her shoulders, cascading down past her neck. Her lips shone with delicious looking red lipstick. Her look of determination and focus warmed the old soldier's heart. The footage was black and white, but she glowed with color in his eyes. The last time she looked so young was around 1946. The date on the footage read 1957, only about eleven years. Steve wiped his brow, a chill having fallen upon him. He suddenly felt old. Very old.

"Another prominent figure in Monarch's early days was Daisuke Serizawa, Japanese sailor and father of paleontologist and chemist Ishiro Serizawa, one of the lead scientists of modern day Monarch. Monarch and SHIELD had collaborated with various different governments and nuclear policies, such as the inception of the Iran nuclear program of 1957, tied with President Dwight D. Eisenhower's Atoms for Peace program. Since 1988, the United States has reduced our arsenal by about 18,000 warheads. However, towards the end of the Cold War, the threat of nuclear destruction and the crusade to end the production of atomic weaponry had slowed, but interest spiked up immediately after the monster attacks of 2014. The effort to get rid of nuclear weapons is being led by the United States and various other members of the United Nations, with unexpected support from previously resistant countries such as Iran, North Korea, and Russia. President Matthew Ellis has reduced our previous stockpile of 4,800 ICBMs by 2,000, with our amount before the monster attacks having been a mere 300. Previously underfunded nuclear silos in Montana, Colorado, and North Dakota have now received an influx of funding in the effort to safely secure and rid ourselves of these nuclear weapons. In a related note, defense spending has increased to protect our country from future monster attacks, with the research being led by Rear Admiral William Stenz of the United States Navy."

Nn interview with Admiral Stenz began to play. The old soldier was dressed in his army fatigues. He stood tall and straight, a microphone pointed at him. "The reduction of our nuclear arsenal is a decision I support, which may surprise some people. These MUTOs and creatures like Godzilla feed on nuclear energy. You don't fight a forest fire by throwing more wood on it. I've learned that through my experience. However, this brings up to a colder reality: that our strongest weapons are useless. With SHIELD out of commission and our arsenal amounting to nothing, the United States needs to better equip itself to prevent future occurrences like what happened last year. With people like Tony Stark out of the weapons business, this makes our effort to protect our country even more difficult. We cannot rely on SHIELD or the Avengers to save us. We as the American people must be independent and able to save ourselves, because they won't always be there to do it for us."

"Admiral Stenz's testimony has garnered plenty of support from both Republicans and Democrats alike, being seen as the face of the fight against giant monsters," Steve Martin continued. "While the military prepares for any potential fights against monsters, the real fight takes place back in places such as Las Vegas, Honolulu, and San Francisco." The footage cuts to firemen, construction workers, and volunteers working together to rebuild the devastation of San Francisco. The Golden Gate Bridge still sags in the water, ripped in half by Godzilla. "The number of lives lost in the attacks is roughly estimated to be around 30,000 people, the highest death toll for any natural disaster in US history. The financial cost of rebuilding all three of these cities is predicted to be over 100 billion dollars, making the second most expensive natural disaster in American history, preceded only by Hurricane Katrina. It is also ranked as one of the most expensive attacks in United States history, preceded only by the Chitauri invasion of New York in 2012. The estimated time to completely finish the cities is a little under a decade. It has not just effected people financially but emotionally. Water based transportation and trade has plummeted, with some speculating that the monster attacks could kill the trade indefinitely." A bar graph appeared showing two bars signifying interest and popularity in aquatic trade and transportation. One bar was blue to represent the positive while the red signified the negative. As of 2014, the red bar is leagues ahead of the blue bar. "Whaling has deceased tremendously out of fear of Godzilla, but so has commercial fishing, really putting a damper on tropical and aquatically based countries and trading areas. It's not just businesses that are scared but people as well."

The footage switched to an interview of a lady in a hospital. A nurse, as indicated by her tag and scrubs. The name at the bottom left hand corner read "Elle Brody – Registered Nurse", with the location revealed to be the Saint Francis Memorial Hospital. She began to speak. "My husband, Ford Brody, served in the Navy defusing bombs. An EOD specialist. His father, Joe, was killed in the accident. We heard it all after the attack was over. My husband was serving out at sea. I tried to contact him, but all the phone lines were down. I was beyond relieved to see him alive after the attack. Things haven't been the same since then. Our son Sam is afraid of the beach. He was on the Golden Gate Bridge when Godzilla attacked. It's a miracle he survived and was taken to safety. The beaches are all empty, the docks abandoned. The media called Godzilla a hero, a king of the monsters. It's true the monster saved us. When it was fighting that giant MUTO, it smashed through the glass and tried to eat us. Godzilla stopped it. It saved us, but we don't know if it's a hero or not. It's easy for people to call it a hero, but they don't know what we've been through out here. A giant animal that breathes fire. It's not like terrorists that you can bring to justice. This is a big monster that can't be stopped by anything we have. That terrifies me and many others. We don't know what else is out there. What if another Godzilla comes around and isn't interested in saving us? You saw the footage. The military couldn't stop it. Not even the Avengers. We're scared because we have no options to protect ourselves. We don't know what to do, and the President can't provide us any answers."

A picture of Joe Brody appeared on screen, with an old photograph of the Janjira power plant before its destruction. "Joseph Brody was an employee of the Janjira power plant in Japan. Police records showed that he had tried frequently to enter the quarantine zone established by the Japanese government back in 1999 but had been apprehended multiple times. Other records showed that he was frequently involved with the cyber activist group the Rising Tide, fixated on knowing what happened. He was 59 years old when he died."

The footage faded to Steve Martin sitting at his desk, looking solemn and forlorn. "Our hearts go out to all those picking up the pieces left behind. We'll be back after the break, but first. The latest development. The Ukrainian government is scrambling for serious PR control after rumors and accusations began to fly that the Chernobyl incident was another MUTO cover-up similar to the Janjira one. You'll see the whole story then." The camera panned out, showing the studio, before cutting to commercial. Sam let out a heavy sigh.

"Damn," he said. "I can't imagine what those people are going through."

"I was there fighting," Steve said, looking over to him. "It's one thing to be there but for that to be your home. To have to stay behind and pick up the pieces. It's something else."

"No kidding," Sam said. "When I was over in Afghanistan when all this was happening, me and the boys were glued to the TV. It doesn't matter what we were doing. Weapon maintenance, drills, or exercise. That TV was on for several days straight, just watching it all. Nobody knew whether it was a movie, an elaborate hoax, or the real deal. We were in the dark out there, Cap. It had never been a less busy time over there. I think even the terrorists called it quits for a bit so they could watch it unfold."

"I guess even evil has to take a break when something that unbelievable is happening," Steve said.

"They're right, you know," Sam said. Steve blinked, not understanding. "About being prepared." He nodded. "I don't wanna sound like a doubter, Cap, but we're just a bunch of guys in fancy outfits and one robot. This is a whole other game we're playing here."

"They never trained us in the army to deal with giant monster attacks," Steve said.

"I hope they have a breakthrough soon. I can rest easy knowing we got some firepower than can take down those monsters."

"You really think Admiral Stenz has the right idea?" Steve asked.

"Come on, Cap," Sam said. "You guys did good against Loki and Ultron. But this is a different ballgame. Giant monsters. You guys didn't make a dent in either one of them. And our biggest fallback is no good. They eat nukes, and not a single weapon can touch 'em. Godzilla tore through the bridge like it was paper."

"I don't disagree," Steve said. "But I just don't think Godzilla's the enemy is all."

"Cap, it's a giant monster," Sam said. "It's dangerous. We don't need to go poking it with a stick, but it doesn't hurt to have a plan B for dealing with it."

"I disagree. It's not just a monster. At that battle in San Francisco, I….. I saw something. I don't know what to call it, but there was something there."

"What? Like a soul?"

"I'm not sure what to call it." Steve shrugged. "Thor says he saw the same thing."

"Well, of course he does," Sam said. "He's all about that supernatural stuff. I don't think you're crazy, Cap. I just don't see what you do."

"Guess it's something you have to experience."

"Hell no," Sam said. "No way am I getting anywhere close to that big thing. The day that happens is the day I'm retiring. I promise you." Steve couldn't help but laugh.


	3. Meeting of the Minds

The ants scurried across the table, going on about their business after having plopped the sugar cubes into his tea. Hank Pym watched the insects with intrigue. He liked to let the little ones out of the ant farms he kept them in to watch them just do things, no matter what they were. Even after having worked with and studied them for years, they always found new ways to keep the old doctor's attention. They were sort of like children to him, loyal and by his side through it all. After a long day of working on the Wasp suit with Hope, he welcomed the charming distraction that the ants were. Scott was off visiting his family, so it was set up to be a quiet day. It was the picturesque occasion for the doctor: study ants, work on new technology, and relax in the silent afterglow of it all.

"Dad?" Hope asked as she stood in the entrance of the dining room. Hank turned around in his chair to face her. "You have a visitor."

"I wasn't aware I had scheduled any sort of meeting," Hank said with a frown. His brow was furrowed as he struggled to figure out who it was. Certainly couldn't be Scott. He wasn't expected to return until after the weekend. He had gone on and on about how he was planning on taking his daughter Cassie to the amusement park out of town with Maggie and Paxton. Scott was the only person he remained in consistent contact with outside of his daughter. "Who could it possibly be?"

"It's best that you just see for yourself," Hope said, the mannerisms she was exhibiting on her face indicating she was just as lost as her dad.

"Oh, alright," Hank said with a shrug. "If you insist." His eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when he saw who walked into his dining room. Hope glanced awkwardly aside as none other than Tony Stark swaggered on in. He smirked at the doctor and nodded.

"Hiya," Tony said nonchalantly. "Never had the chance to meet."

"Oh my God," Hank said, turning back to his table. He rested his head in his right hand, rubbing his eyes with his finger and thumb.

"I usually get that reaction," Tony said as he looked over to Hope and smiled.

"I'll just leave you to it," she said flatly and left. Tony slid over and pulled up a chair, joining Hank at the table.

"Doctor Hank Pym," Tony said, interlocking his fingers. "Entomologist and physicist."

"Tony Stark," Hank said. "Professional clown." Tony couldn't help but laugh at his flat tone.

"I suppose I am," he said. "As well as a genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist."

"I don't like to bother with titles," Hank said, stirring his tea. "I've moved past that lot in life." Tony's eyes wandered around the room, taking in the paintings on the dark wallpaper. He ran his hands over the smooth dark wood of the table and chair.

"You have a lovely home, Doctor," Tony said. "Why haven't I been invited over?"

"Because we're not colleagues, and your father was a crook," Hank said as he nonchalantly sipped his tea.

"Whoa, now," Tony said, holding up a hand. "The old man may have had his problems, but that seems a bit unfair."

"He and SHIELD tried to recreate my Pym particles under my nose," Hank said.

"And that was wrong," Tony said. "But how is that my fault?"

"Because you're exactly like him."

"You're too kind."

"That wasn't a compliment." Hank looked to his watch, only a minute having gone by. "Starks are always trouble. After I withdrew from SHIELD in 1989, I vowed to never interact with Howard or any of his spawn again. And yet, one shows up on my doorstep despite my best efforts-"

"Oh, will you just cut the drama and let me tell you why I'm here?" Tony asked, shaking his head in an exaggerated manner. Even with his words, Tony's trademark smirk never left his face. Hank sighed deeply.

"Let's hear it," he said flatly.

"Alright, so I have this idea for a robot and-"

"Stop," Hank said, holding up a hand.

"Let me guess," Tony said. "I'm thinking too much?"

"No, the problem is you're thinking period," Hank said, pointing a finger at him.

"Well, that IS kind of what I do."

"Did you learn nothing from your stint a few months back?" Hank asked. "You know, the one where your creation dropped half a country?"

"Hey, I didn't know he was gonna do that," Tony said. "You think I wanted that? All I ever wanted was to protect the world. Build a suit of armor around this small planet. After what happened in New York and San Francisco with those monsters, you wouldn't want the same? Also, Banner worked on it, too."

"Oh, great," Hank said flatly. "Banner and Stark together at last. How could anything have possibly gone wrong? Surprised you didn't cause a black hole when the two of you stepped into a room together."

"But you do know where I was coming from, am I right?" Tony asked. Hank sighed again.

"Tony, I won't deny that I share the sentiment you have," Hank said. "But if there's anything I've learned from my years as the Ant-Man, it's that not every bit of technology needs to be shared so casually."

"That Yellowjacket suit your protégé built could've been very useful," Tony said. "If I had gotten to play around with it, we could've made something-"

"See, THIS is the problem I have with you, Stark," Hank said. "You do so much talking, but you don't do very much listening." He poked his head a few times for enunciation. "It's the same problem I had with your father. You're so focused on the big picture that you don't know how you're gonna get there. Ask yourself how many people died as a result to get to where we are today." His face grew quite solemn. "I know who had to for me. Who had to for you?" The young billionaire grew quiet, his face losing all expression. While he couldn't admit it, Hank was certainly right. Many innocents died at Sokovia and New York. The Maximoff girl's brother was a casualty. Joe Brody was another. He had barely known the man, but his death was a sting in his chest. A family man with a son and daughter in law. A grandson. His mind wandered to his late parents and Professor Ho Yinsen. The man who saved his life and helped him become Iron Man. After the Iron Monger mess had been settled, Tony had sent men overseas to recover his body. They never found it amongst the rubble. The best that could be done was a burial at his village with an empty grave. Tony had come to terms with it, but it always left him unsatisfied to think about.

"Hank, this technology can be used for great things,-" Tony said.

"It has been," Hank stated.

"We can use those Pym particles and that Ant-Man suit for so many more things. Not just heists. Think of what we can do with medicine."

"You'd have to shrink down to the subatomic level, which is nearly impossible to get out of," Hank said. "You would shrink forever and ever, to a point where time would cease to exist and reality as you know it would be completely altered to the point where no human being could comprehend it and survive. Only one man has ever come back from it."

"Scott Lang," Tony said. Hank nodded slowly.

"I trust Scott," Hank spoke. "He's got a good head on his shoulders. Responsible but knows when to take risks and go off the book. You're a loose cannon, Stark. That incident in Sokovia is proof that you're barely responsible with your own technology. And now you walk into my house and ask me for some of mine."

"Don't I deserve a second chance?" Tony asked. "That's what you gave Scott, wasn't it?"

"You already got yours, I seem to recall," Hank said. "When you were captured in Afghanistan. And look at what you've done with it. Created a killer robot that damn nearly killed us all."

"So it sounds like you've already made up your mind."

"Of course I did," Hank said. "The second I saw you in my house, I knew I was gonna turn you away. You have nothing to offer me-"

"Then why are we still talking?" Tony felt a twinge of satisfaction as Hank grew quiet. No answer he could come up with seemed to be sufficient to himself. "I know. You're looking for something." He pointed at the old doctor. "You want a reason to say "yes" but don't know what it is."

"…Perhaps," Hank admitted.

"Look, I will fully admit that Ultron was a huge mistake," Tony said. "But I helped fix it. Even if I make the mess, I'm always there to help clean it up. With aliens from outer space and giant monsters in our ocean, all I want is a surefire way we can protect ourselves. Ultron was supposed to be that but ended up failing. I still think that's a viable option. I just need to start smaller. And I need a seasoned veteran who's seen it all at my side." Hank scratched at his goatee, mulling his words over. His tone sounded sincere enough, but Starks are unpredictable. He wanted to poke and prod at Tony further.

"Before I agree to anything, I have three conditions," Hank said.

"Name them," Tony said, leaning in.

"First, I am your equal. Not your partner. I may no longer have a company to my name and be old and forgotten, but I am not gonna play second banana to the young playboy. I'm not your sidekick. I'm your partner. We work on this together equally or not at all. Got it?"

"Understood," Tony said, nodding. He felt himself enjoying the notion of working with someone who was not as passive as Bruce was.

"Second, under no circumstances are you or your SHIELD and Avengers buddies allowed to touch the Ant-Man suit," Hank stated.

"SHIELD and I have temporarily split up," Tony said. "Not divorced but just taking a break. It's not them. It's me."

"That suit is one of my prized possessions," Hank continued. "Perhaps I will allow Scott to work alongside the Avengers if necessary."

"They'd be lucky to have him," Tony said. "Kicked Falcon's ass pretty good."

"That he did," Hank said, sipping his previously forgotten tea once more. "But you will not analyze, modify, or attempt to duplicate the suit. That falls under my jurisdiction."

"Alright," Tony said, hiding his disappointment at losing the ability to tinker with the suit.

"And finally, my daughter." Hank's face turned deathly serious. "I know how you are with women, Stark. Like father, like son. You're a womanizer." Tony couldn't help but smile at the word. He had tried for years to pay the dictionary writers to put his picture in next to the word but to no avail. "Hope is my pride and joy. She is special and all I have. And I won't let somebody like you sully her. So if you lay a hand on her, I'll cut your cock off." Tony felt a cold sweat amass on the back of his neck. Rarely had he felt such fear. Flying the bomb through the black hole over New York, facing against "the Mandarin", forgetting Pepper's birthday. This was definitely up there with those.

"R-right," Tony said. Hank nodded curtly.

"So," he said. "What did you have in mind?" Tony leaned forward, ready to spill everything with the good doctor.

"A robot," he began. "Driven by artificial intelligence but on a much more simplistic level. It only operates when we put it into action. A size changing robot that can grow larger to fight giant monsters or smaller to infiltrate enemy bases."

"Is this all just an excuse to get ahold of my Pym particles?" Hank asked.

"I reached out to you because you're the most capable scientist I know," Tony said. "Banner is MIA, and I can't work with SHIELD without the Cap breathing down my neck. We can work together. Off the record."

"Well, a machine would be easier to work with than organic matter," Hank said. "And I would be able to keep you in line."

"You can't be serious," a voice said. Hope entered the dining room and came to her father's side. "You're surely not going to work with Stark."

"Have you been listening in on us?" Hank asked.

"How much did you here?" Tony asked.

"I heard the part about getting your cock cut off," Hope said.

"Of course you did," Tony muttered to himself, frowning.

"You can't work with Tony Stark," Hope said. "He's unpredictable, a control freak, stubborn, and a misogynist."

"Hey, whoa," Tony said, holding up a hand. "No need to throw around the m-word."

Hank sighed and rubbed his forehead. "Look, I'm still not even convinced this is a good idea."

"Then how about this?" Tony asked. "I'll pay for everything. I'll provide you a lab, the technology, and anything else you need. I may as well. Already funding the entire Avengers, for God's sake."

"Hmm," Hank said. Making new technology on someone else's dime didn't sound too bad to him.

"And as an added bonus," Tony said as he retrieved his phone. "I'll let you study this." He pressed a button, and a holographic display of the Vision appeared.

"Wait," Hope said, squinting at the display. "That's the Vision."

"That it is," Tony said with a smirk. Hank and Hope glanced at one another, their resistance slowly dwindling.

"You'll let us analyze the Vision," Hank said. "See what makes it work?"

"What makes HIM work," Tony said. "And yes, I will. Right now."

"You called, Mr. Stark?" a British voice asked. Hope and Hank turned around and were surprised to see none other than the Vision float into their dining room. Hank rose from his chair, amazed by what he was seeing.

"I'll be damned," he said.

"Incredible," Hope said.

"Thanks," Tony said. "We can incorporate some of his technology into my-uh, our robot. I've already got potential designs lined up and everything."

"I would be honored to assist you," the Vision said.

"And why would that be?" Hank asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Ultron was a miscalculation," the Vision said in a monotone. "His intention was always to protect the Earth, but his execution was horribly lacking. He needed more guidance, a teacher. I believe I can be a suitable mentor to this new creation. That is, if you would be willing to assist, doctor." Hank merely watched the android in silence. Even through his monotone, his words were sincere. The old man looked over to his daughter searchingly.

"What do you think?" he asked. Her decision would be the deciding factor. Hope sighed.

"Well, this is incredibly advanced tech," she whispered. "Imagine what we could do if we got our hands on it. Was able to work with it. Stark would pay for it all, and we can keep him in line. I guess…. go for it." Hank merely nodded. The two turned around to face him.

"You said something about having designs," Hank stated. Tony clapped his hands together and pointed at him.

"Do either of you watch anime?"

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry for the long hiatus. Lost my inspiration there but have gotten it back briefly. Saw Ant-Man today. What a blast that was. If you haven't seen it already, do so. Hopefully, I'll have more for you.**


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